Fired how to Move on with your Career
It happens in most careers. You’re suddenly out of a job. The immediate reaction may be a combination of shock, anger and panic. The reason you’re unemployed may have had nothing to do with your performance. The job market today is volatile, and downward swings in business too often result in sudden lay-offs.Whatever the reason, you must put it all behind you and get your working life restarted as quickly as possible. Taking the challenge with optimism, there are many ways you can move on with your career.Understand why you’ve been firedIf you lost your job because of your own actions, be realistic about it. Was it poor performance, bad attitude, insubordination, chronic lateness or other negative reason? Take an absolutely honest look at your problem. Forget excuses and work on improving yourself.Discuss your situation with a knowledgeable friend, teacher or relative. If necessary, seek professional help. Find out how you can become a viable applicant as you approach the job market again.If you’ve been fired through no fault of your own, due to cutbacks, downsizing or other external reason, your approach to finding a new job won’t be too different. You should still seek to improve your skills and make yourself a more qualified candidate for your next job.Don’t procrastinateFor some who lose their jobs, feelings of rejection and hopelessness can negatively affect their efforts to return to the job market. The longer you delay seeking new opportunities, the less attractive candidate you become. The best cure for idleness is to begin an active and immediate campaign to get your career back on track.Create a solid, new resuméAdjust the information on yourresuméto the specific job or industry where you’re applying for a job. For example, if it’s electronics, emphasize your training and experience in the field. Before each interview, become familiar with the company’s structure and products. With that knowledge, you’ll be better prepared to discuss with the interviewer how you may fit in as a new employee.In your resumé and interview, offer logical reasons why you should be hired. Be direct without excessive promises about how qualified you believe you are for the job. Along with your resumé, be prepared to show the interviewer positive references. If you lost your previous job because of cutbacks, be sure to get positive endorsements from the company’s management.Be prepared for challengesThe requirements of the job market are ever changing and expanding. New opportunities may offer unexpected situations. For example, an overseas assignment could require frequent travel. Another could involve long hours or other difficulties. For an unemployed job seeker, every offer should be seriously considered for immediate return to regular income. Another aspect could be future opportunities for promotion.When your job interviews go nowhereWhen you lose your job, the only way to get back on a career track is to seek out new interviews. They can be discouraging experiences, especially when the inevitable rejections happen. The best way to fight the feelings of rejection is toexplore the reasonsyou didn’t get the job. Immediately after each failed interview, give yourself an honest appraisal of how you could have done better. Use the experience to improve your qualifications and you’ll do better on the next try.Don’t ever lose hopeNo matter how many job application rejections you get, continue to believe in yourself. Thatlifetime job opportunitymay be out there tomorrow after just one more interview.
